Wall supported shoe stretcher and support



July 9, 1957 l. JAFFE WALL suPPOPTEO SHOE STPETOHEP ANO SUPPORT Filed May 2l, 1956 Isadore Jae, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assigner to Traveler lrroducts, Inc., Cleveland, hio

Application May 21, 1956, Serial No. 586,196

1 Claim. (Cl. `1253.7)

This invention relates to a shoe-holder and stretcher, and particularly to one supported from a wall, so that the shining of the shoes may be conveniently carried out.

Conducive to a better understanding of the invention it may be well to point out that shoes are commonly fitted to wall brackets which support the shoe in a horizontal position while it is being polished.

Such brackets comprise a last portion which is tted into the toe of the shoe and a stretcher portion which engages the inside of the back of the shoe and pulls it taut against the last tip.

In view of the fact that shoes vary considerably in size and shape, such devices are commonly provided with interchangeable lasts which can be attached to the bracket as required.

Such attaching means usually comprise a system of inter-locking pins and grooves which permit considerable side play of the last, when subjected to lateral forces such as occur when a polishing cloth is drawn back and forth across the toe of the shoe.

In order to prevent this lateral movement of the last, the shoe must be subjected to excessive lstretching in order to hold the last rigid on the supporting bracket.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a shoe-holder in which the replaceable last member is rigidly locked to the bracket against lateral displacemement. y

Another object is to provide a bracket and shoe engaging last that are provided with two pair of spaced and inter-fitted pinned and grooved members which act to anchor the last to the bracket against relative movement both laterally and longitudinally of the bracket.

A further object is to provide a shoe-holder of the type stated that is rugged in structure, reliable in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claim, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoe-holder constructed in accordance with my invention, showing a shoe supported thereon, indicated in broken outline;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the foot of the last support arm;

Figure 3 is a side view of the same;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View, taken along the center-line of the last, in its unmounted condition; and

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the assembled device.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in Figure 1 the shoe-holder, that is the subject of this invention, broadly indicated by reference numeral 10.

The holder comprises a stretcher arm 13 which is detachably mounted on a wall bracket 11, through a bracket plate 12. The arm 13 has a dependent leg which terminates in a curved heel plate 14, adapted to engage the back of a shoe 40.

2,798,236 Patented July 9,. 1957 e ICC A last supporting arm 16, having an elongated slot 17 is slidably mounted on the stretcher arm 13 by means of a bolt 15 having a thumb nut 41 attached thereto.

The arm 16 has ardownwardly extending leg 1S terminating in a forwardly `extending horizontal foot 19. The footV 19 has opposed curved recesses 20 and 21 on either face thereof, as is seen most clearly in Figure 2.

Reference numeralsl 22i and 23 indicate channels which connect the recesses 20 and 21, respectively, with the top edge 28 ofthe foot 19.

A deeply stepped shoulder 24 extends across the top edge 28 immediately tothe rear of the channels 22 and 23.

The tip 25 of the foot 19 has two laterally extending pins 26 and 27 mounted on the side faces thereof, forward of the recesses 20 and 21.

Reference numeral 30 indicates a shoe last having a shape suitable to snugly fit into the toe of the shoe 40; Several lasts, of differentsize and shape adapted to fit shoes of different size, are furnished with each unit. All the lasts have the same mechanical structure and are adapted to be-inter-changeably mounted on the foot 19.

Each shoe-last 30 comprises atoe fitting shell having its rear edge cut out or notched, as at 31.

Two aligned pins 32 and 33 extend inwardly of the cut-out portion 31, and are spaced apart a distance such that they will slidably intertit the foot channels 22 and 23 and the recesses 20 and 21, as explained hereinafter.

Reference numerals 34 and 35 indicates two dependent lugs positioned on either side of the center-line of the last 30, and spaced apart a distance such that the tip 25 of the foot 19 may be snugly positioned therebetween.

Each lug, 34 and 35, has aligned slots 36 and 37, respectively, extending cross-wise thereof.

Reference numerals 38 and 39 indicate stilfening ribs formed in the wall of the last 3).

In mounting the last 30 on the foot 19, the cut-out portion 31 of the last 30 is aligned with the shoulder 24 of the foot 19. The last pins 32 and 33 are slid down the channels 22 and 23 and into the recesses 2l) and 21 to take the positions shown in Figures 1 and 5.

At the same time, the cut-out portion 31 is pushed rearwardly into abutting engagement with the shoulder 24.

In this position the last 30 will lie supported on the top surface 28 of the foot 19. At the same time the tip 25 of the foot will be nested between the last lugs 34 and 35, with the foot pins 26 and 27 interlocked in the lug slots 36 and 37, respectively, as seen in Figure 5.

The last 30, as mounted, is held against longitudinal movement relative the foot 19 by means of the foot pins 26 and 27 which are seated in the last lug slots 36 and 37, and also by the cut-out portion 31 which abuts the foot shoulder 24.

Lateral motion is prevented by the lugs 34 and 35 which bear against both faces of the foot tip 25 and the foot pins 26 and 27.

Lateral movement of the rear end of the last 30 is prevented by the cut-out portion 31 which ts against both sides of the shoulder 24.

At the same time forward tilting of the last 30 on the foot 19 is prevented by the last pins 32 and 33 which abut against the closed ends of the recesses 20 and 21, as is seen most clearly in Figure 1.

Thus the last 30 is securely held in locked engagement with the foot 19 and is rigid against all lateral, longitudinal, or downward forces exerted by the polishing cloth.

In mounting a shoe on the device, the thumb nut 41 is loosened and the support arm 16 is pushed toward the the stretcher arm heel plate 14 until the heel plate can be slid into the back of a shoe 40, drawn over the last 30. The last support arm 16 is then drawn forward by means of the hand grip 29 until the shoe 40 is rmly supported between the last 30 and the stretcher arm heel plate 14, as T seen in Figure 1. The thumb nut 41 is then tightened, to hold the parts, as adjusted.

Since the structure described provides a rigid connection between the demountable last 30 and the foot 19, the shoe 40 will not have to be unduly stretched in order to provide a rm support for the shoe, during the polishing operation, as is the case with prior art devices.

A shoe polished on my holder will not be deformed or marred as a result of being supported in this manner.

It will now be clear that there is provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretoforevset forth. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof, as described and illustrated herein, is not to be considered in a limited sense, as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A shoe-holder of the wall mounting type, comprising 20 in combination, a stretcher arm, a last supporting arm slidably mounted thereon and movable relative thereof between adjusted positions, the last suporting arm having a foot portion adapted to receive a shoeA last in interlocked engagement, said engaging means including a 25 curved recess on either side of the foot portion, below the top edge thereof, and channels connecting the recesses Y '4 with the top edge of the foot portion, a deeply stepped shoulder positioned at the inner end of the top edge of the foot portion, at the channel, and a pair of laterally extending pins mounted on each side of the foot portion at the tip thereof, forward of the recesses, and a shoe last having a central cut-out portion at its rear edge adapted to receive the shoulder therein and butt thereagainst, the last also having a pair of aligned pins extending inwardly of the cut-out portion, engageable with the foot portion recesses when the last is mounted thereon, a pair of guide lugs positioned on the underside of the last, spaced apart a distance equal to the thickness of the foot portion tip and adapted to receive the same snugly therebetween, the said lugs having aligned cross slots adapted to receive the foot portion pins therein when the foot portion tip is nested betwen the lugs, thereby locking the foot portion and last together against lateral and longitudinal displacement.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS `2,575,408 VChester Nov. 20, 1951V VFOREIGN PATENTS 32,538 Switzerland Feb. 18, 1905 France Nov. 19, 1952 

